The Slytherin King and his Gryffindor Princess
by Punkin02
Summary: A seer has a vision, that results in redhaired young witches getting targeted by the darkside. What does this have to do with Ginny Weasley? And how is Draco Malfoy involved? Will he come after her, or protect her? Hope you all like it:
1. Chapter 1

**The Slytherin King, and his Gryffindor Princess**

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all…except the plotJ and anything else you may not recognize from the books. _

_Author's note: This is my second fic…my first one is still going, but I'm having a little trouble with it. Hopefully this one with go along better. Also…it's rated mostly for violence and death, so far just in this chapter. Also for possible sexual innuendos or scenes in later chapters. So if you have a problem with violence or death, I'd advise you not to read this story. Because even if I don't plan to have a whole lot of it, the first chapter defiantly does have it. I have the second chapter done as well, and will be posting it soon. Thank you, please R&R, reviews help motivate me to keep writingJ _

**Chapter One: The night that changed everything…**

On this dark moonless night, millions of stars watched as a boy made his way briskly down a deserted street, in an almost deserted town. His head held high, though his clothes were torn and bloody. White-blonde hair in disarray, hanging down over pale skin into cold gray eyes. Eyes staring determinedly ahead , as though desperately avoiding to look at the crumbling buildings he was passing. Draco Malfoy had walked this street more times than he could remember, not looking at the raggedy houses, simply because he didn't care. Didn't care that they were falling down, or about the people that may live inside them. To him, they were just there, something he must pass to get to the manor,. But tonight was different. Tonight he didn't look, because he was afraid. Afraid he'd see that little girl standing in one of those doorways, begging him to save her. She wasn't there, of course, because he hadn't saved her. But that didn't keep him from seeing her there.

'Don't look Draco, she's not there. It's too late, you can't help her now. Don't look. If you look, you might crack. And to show that kind of weakness will surely get you a beating. Just don't look Draco.' He was almost to the gate of the manor, just a few more feet. Draco stopped as he reached the gate, and stared up at the crumbling mansion that was his home. Of course, it wasn't really crumbling, it was simply a spell. Malfoy Manor wasn't only unplotable, you couldn't apparate onto the grounds (much like Hogwarts), and the whole place has a disillusionment charm on it. Until you walked through the gate, it looked much like the rest of this town, crumbling, decaying. There was also a muggle repelling charm, to keep muggles from entering the grounds and nobody (probably not even the Dark Lord himself) knew where Malfoy Manor was. The only way visitors could find the place, was through the floo network. Draco slowly made his way through the gate, and up to the door. Only stopping once, just inside the gate, to gaze up at his ancestral home in all it's dark glory. He'd have the house to himself for a few hours, his parents and the other Death Eaters had a meeting with the Dark Lord.

Now usually, when his parents had a meeting, Draco invited Blaise over to keep him company. They'd play wizards chess, or Quidditch, or just sit and talk about how they'd torture the "Golden Trio" this year. He'd also occasionally invite Pansy over for a little fun. But tonight, he wanted to be alone. He had a lot to think about. Most people would want something to keep their mind off of what had happened, but Draco wasn't most people. He had to figure out why it bothered him so much. She was just a muggle, wasn't she. But then how did they know to hide from and fear the Death Eaters? Muggles didn't know about Death Eaters. And she wasn't just a muggle, she was also just a child, an innocent child.

_Earlier That Night_

"Draco, dear?" Narcissa Malfoy had just entered her son's room, and sat on the edge of his king-sized feather bed.

"Yes mum?" Draco was over in front of his mirror that covered the entire wall to the left of his bed, he was in the process of gelling back his white-blond hair.

"Your father wants to take you with him tonight, before the meeting, so you can get a feel for what it'll be like after you get the mark. I'd go with you, but I have preparations to make for the meeting. I'll be meeting up with your father there, okay?" Narcissa looked up at her son with a glint of worry in her pale blue eyes.

"Father wants me to come along? Really?" The anticipation was apparent in his voice, he had waited a long time to participate in the Death Eaters activities. His father always told him to be patient, that he wasn't ready yet. That his time for the mark would come soon enough. And now, finally, Draco would get to go along. And before getting the mark even. Not that it'd be much longer until that happened as well. Draco was 17 now, he was officially of age. He'd be starting his last year at Hogwarts within a months time. He knew that sometime this school year he'd be receiving the Dark Mark.

Draco looked over at his mother, she smiled at him, but she couldn't hide that glint in her eye. Not from Draco.

"Don't worry mum. I'll be fine. It's not anything big I'm sure. Probably just some muggle-baiting. Father wouldn't bring me on an important assignment before I even got my mark." He assure her. It seemed to comfort her enough. She smiled again, smoothed back his hair and left him sitting alone on his green and silver comforter to ponder what the rest of the night would bring.

"Draco, it's time." He heard his father's stern voice call from down the hall about an hour later. Draco grabbed his cloak off of his bed and hurried down the hall after his father. They stopped at the front entrance.

"Draco, tonight will be a watching experience for you. However, if you are told to do something, I want you to obey without question. But otherwise, do not interfere. Do you understand?" Lucius Malfoy searched his anxious son's face for any sign of argument, but found only excitement. To show emotion was a sign of weakness. But Lucius remembered his first assignment and was sure he had that same look of anticipation. Also Draco was still young, and for his age he was remarkably good at masking his emotions.

"Of course father. "Draco replied. Trying to keep the excitement from his voice. Lucius nodded and passed through the door and across the grounds towards the gate at a brisk walk. Draco quickly wrapped his cloak around himself and followed after his father's departing figure, not noticing the tall form watching him from the shadows of the grounds. They walked together in silence for about four blocks, until the manor was just a looming figure in the distance. Then Lucius turned to face his son.

"The others will be here soon. If any ask, we apparated here. They do not know where the manor is, and I would prefer if it stayed that way."

"Why not just do this in another town, father?" Draco inquired. He didn't understand why their task had to take place so close to their home.

"I told you no questions." Draco flinched, as though expecting to be hit. Lucius changed his tone.

"We have business here," was all he said. Draco knew better than to ask further. Suddenly there were several simultaneous pops, and they were standing amongst several Death Eaters. All had their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods, as was usual.

"Nott, Parkinson, Zabini. You all know my son, Draco." They nodded in his direction. "Where are Crabbe, Goyle and Avery? I thought they were joining us tonight." Lucius seemed almost upset at their absence, as though their presence was of great importance.

"They've been sent on a mission by the Dark Lord." Lucius spun around to face who had answered him. A slow smile spread across his features.

"Bella, my dear sister-in-law. Decided to join in the fun?" Lucius said in an almost seductive tone. Bella reached over and slowly twirled a loose strand of Lucius' long blonde hair around her finger. She smiled, almost maliciously, Draco thought, at Lucius and replied in an equally seductive tone. "But of course, you know how much I enjoy death and destruction." Draco trembled unwillingly at the way she said destruction, but nobody noticed, they were all watching Bella.

Draco had heard bits and pieces of stories about his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. How she had helped torture a pair of Aurors into madness, then at her trial she had screamed her allegiance to the Dark Lord. Swearing she'd help bring him back to power, even as the dementors had drug her off to Azkaban. He'd also heard recently that she'd killed her own cousin, Sirius Black, during the battle at the ministry at the end of his fifth year. And that she was about as close to being the Dark Lord's favorite as one could get. Some people said she was completely mad, others said it was that she was just pure evil. Draco looked at her now, and couldn't decide which he thought it was.

"Well, lets go do this then." His father's voice broke into his thoughts. He felt an arm link with his, looking over to his right he saw Bellatrix grabbing his arm as though he were her escort to some grand ball. She leaned towards him and whispered in his ear.

"My, my…haven't you grown into a handsome little devil." She pulled away, winked at him and hurried to the front of the procession. They walked another block or two from where they had arrived, when Lucius pointed at a rickety old house. It wasn't quite as decayed as the others, as though someone was making the effort to keep it standing. It still had a few of it's windows unbroken, and the door was closed rather than hanging off the frame. They walked silently up to the door and knocked. Draco glanced over at Bella in confusion, She smiled evilly at him just as a man, who was maybe 30 answered the door. The look on the man's face went from a look of confusion, to terror, as he saw who it was at his door. Lucius pointed his wand at the man and said something to him that Draco couldn't hear. The man slowly backed into the house. There was silence as they followed Lucius, as he forced the young man into his own living room. Draco assumed he was the only one here, the house seemed so quiet. But why would they bring so many Death Eaters to deal with one muggle. Surely his father could have handled this on his own.

"Where's everyone else?" Draco heard his father ask the trembling man.

"There is no one else here, it's just me." the man replied confidently.

"Search the house, there are more here somewhere." Lucius turned to the others, "Draco, Bella, you check upstairs. They're hiding somewhere, I'm sure of it." Draco took one last look at the frightened man as he ran his hand nervously through his dark red hair. How would they know to hide, they're just muggles aren't they?

He turned and followed his aunt obediently up the stairs. Silently he checked each room, and closet. Under every bed, behind ever piece of moldy furniture. Where as Bellatrix wandered through each room calling out to the people that were supposedly hiding in them. Occasionally knocking random objects to the floor, then standing in silence, listening. In the last room, her efforts paid off. She "accidentally" knocked a lamp to the floor, and was overjoyed to hear a small gasp come from the wooden floor under her feet. Moving the rug, Draco was surprised to find a small trap door, and underneath, an even smaller girl. She had to be no older than eleven , her fiery red hair a tangled mess as Bella grabbed the struggling girl by the shoulders and lifted her out.

"Come Draco." Bella turned, and roughly pulled the girl along as she headed back downstairs, "we found a young girl." Draco heard her tell his father as he reentered the shabby living room.

"Good. Nott found the woman in a hidden room behind the pantry." Draco wondered at this. Why would you have hidden rooms and trapdoors in an ordinary muggle house. Unless you knew there was something or someone that may come after you.

"it would not have saved you, or your family, certainly not your daughter, but we may have made it quick had you not lied." Draco's thoughts were once again interrupted by his father's voice. He was talking to the young man again. Draco knew that although they had already probably planned on torturing the man and his family before killing them, his father's statement now made it a guarantee.

"May I?" Bellatrix asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Of course." his father replied.

"Crucio!" She shouted, pointing her wand at the slender red-haired woman. Screams filled Draco's head as he watched the woman writhe in agonizing pain on the ground. Tears streamed down the man's face as he struggled against Parkinson and Nott who kept his from covering his wife's body, blocking the curse. The screams of his daughter now mixing with his wife's as she called out to her mother. Lucius impatiently pushed the flailing girl at Draco,

"Hold her, don't let her get away." Draco grabbed the girl's arms and held her back, kneeling down to get a better grip on her squirming body.

"Crucio!" Three voices said in unison, adding their spells to Bella's. Only Parkinson, who was still holding the man back, and Draco were not joining in on the torture. It was only once the screams stopped, leaving the woman in a crumpled heap, that Draco realized the girl was no longer struggling to get free, but clinging to him, her tears soaking the front of his robes.

The man's death was much more bloody than his wife's had been, but he held his screams inside. Draco was sure it was for the sake of the small girl who was still sobbing into his chest. He watched as each Death Eater hit the man with curse after curse, wounds appearing all over his body. It ended with his father saying the Avada Kedavra curse. Draco watched in silence, with his mask of indifference firmly in place on his face. Not realizing he was holding onto the girl, almost as tightly as she was him.

Then, they had all turned to him. At first. He thought he'd done something wrong, the look in his fathers eye was murderous, and the only way to describe the look on Bellatrix's face was pure evil. Maybe the rumors were right, maybe she hadn't just gone mad. What happened next was mostly a blur to Draco later. He realized they were not looking at him like that, but the girl that was still clinging to his chest.

"Let go of the girl now Draco, it's time to finish this." He heard his father tell him, felt his hands release her arms. But she didn't run from him, just clung tighter.

"Oh, someone wants to play hard to get," sang Bella in a voice that made her sound truly mad. Suddenly blood splattered Draco as Bella sent a curse at the girl, causing little gashes to appear across her small back. He heard her scream out in pain and felt her hold tighter to him, as though she thought if she got close enough she'd just melt into him. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms protectively around her small frame, the consequences of interfering would be horrendous. He felt them pull her away from him, heard her screaming, saw her cinnamon eyes pleading with him. Then, just before Bellatrix said "Avada Kedavra" she cried out to him in her tiny little voice,

"please, don't let them kill me…"One last tear fell from her cheek to the bloodied floor. That moment between her yelling out to him, and Bella ending her life seemed to last an eternity. He just stared, as her eyes lost their light, and her body went limp.

"Time to go, the meeting will be starting soon." He heard someone say as they all turned to walk out of the dingy little house. Only Nott stayed behind for a minute to put the Dark Mark over the house.

"Draco, you apparate home. Me and your mother will be gone for a few hours." His father told him, before turning to apparate. With a loud pop they all disappeared. Except Draco. He started slowly down the street. Suddenly he realized his father may have stayed behind , to see his reaction to the nights events. He composed himself, and started walking briskly down the deserted street towards the manor, his head held high. Once he was sure he was alone, he glanced over at one of the falling buildings. For a second he thought he saw the girl standing in the empty doorframe, pleading with him with those cinnamon eyes of hers. But when he looked back, nobody was there. He continued on, not daring to look at the buildings again. Also, not noticing the tall figure watching him from the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling. _

_Authors Note: I may have forgotten to mention, I'm pretending Half Blood Prince didn't happen here. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you to all my reviewers.J I love seeing what you all think of it. _

**Chapter 2: At the Burrow...**

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Ginny flinched as she heard her mother making her way up the stairs to Ginny's room. Mrs. Weasley burst through her daughter's door to find her calmly setting up a game of Wizard's chess. "Explain yourself young lady!" she yelled.

"Ron promised to play me at a game of wizards chess before Harry and Hermione show up. I was just setting up." Ginny replied innocently.

"You know very well what I am talking about!" Her mother said in a dangerous tone. "That potion you sent to your brother, it took me six counter-potions to change his face back to normal."

"Oh. That." Ginny looked away. She knew there was no getting out of this one. Fred and George would have used one of their own products, and Ron was hopeless at potions. " He was being a git." Percy Weasley had only recently been welcomed back into the family after he finally accepted that his family had been right all along about Voldemort being back. She still hadn't forgiven him for that, and neither had the majority of her family. Yet he had the nerve to blow up at her for being happy that she didn't make prefect. She didn't want to be a prefect, like the twins, she would much rather break rules than enforce them.

"No flying for 2 weeks." Her mother said before leaving the room. Ginny jumped up and ran to her door, "but mum! We only have 2 weeks left till school starts, and I've barely had a chance to break in my new broom.!" She yelled down the stairs after the departing Mrs. Weasley.

"You should have thought about that before you rearranged your brothers face to look like a Picasso painting." she heard her mother retort. Damn it! She'd really been hoping to get in some practice with Harry and Ron before school started. Well she'd just have to hope she could find some time before Quidditch trials. She was desperate to stay on as chaser, she'd made it last year, but there was some tough competition for the spot. Ginny had worked at her brothers' store, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, all summer so she could afford a new broom. She just hoped this prank wouldn't cost her the chance to stay on as chaser.

" Ready to play Gin?" Ron asked as he entered her room., a smile on his freckled face, "I'm going to crush you this time."

"Dream on!" she replied, smiling back at him. "You haven't beat me the last ten matches." She loved playing chess with Ron, he was a good challenge. They'd been improving their skills by playing each other for as long as she could remember. No one else in the family would play against either of them anymore, there was just no point. They knew they'd lose.

"So I heard you rearranged Percy's face today, quite literally." Ron said casually as he moved his pawn.

"Yeah, he was being a git. Lecturing me because I didn't make prefect, and was happy about it." Ginny replied as she moved on of her pawns as well. "Unfortunately it might cost me my Chaser position, mum banned me from flying till school starts. And I haven't broken in my new broom yet."

"Ouch. I'm sure you'll still be able to stay on as chaser, Gin, you made it an old school broom last year. But no flying for two weeks, I pity you." Ron said, a look of sympathy crossing his features.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs after hugging the newly arrived Harry and Hermione. Ron and Ginny jumped off her bed and headed downstairs. Ron had just barely beaten Ginny at their chess game, and they'd been sitting on her bed talking about Quidditch and wondering when their friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, were going to show up. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were attacked by a head of wavy brown hair.

"Oh Ron! Ginny! I've missed you both so much." Hermione squealed as she hugged both Ron and Ginny at least three times each.

"We missed you too Hermione, but not as much as I miss breathing right now." Choked Ginny.

"Sorry." muttered an embarrassed Hermione Granger, as she backed away from her two red-headed friends. Ron just stood there, his face a shade of bright pink. Harry hugged Ginny and gave Ron a pat on the back, bringing him out of his state of shock.

"Sorry we're so late, had a little trouble finding some of Hermione's books. Apparently she reads in every room in her house, even a couple of the closets." Harry said with a grin.

"Sometimes it's the only place I can be alone," Hermione responded, a light blush gracing her cheeks. "My parents tend to have a lot of company over."

" I know the feeling." chimed in Ginny, grinning. They all sat down around the table to eat. Mrs. Weasley had made homemade chicken and dumplings.

"It'll just be us tonight, everybody in the order are just so busy these days." Mrs. Weasley said as everyone got into their seats.

"Where are Fred and George tonight?" Harry asked as he served himself.

"Oh, with school so close to starting, the store's been really busy. So they've been staying in the flat above the shop. They'd probably stay there all the time if they didn't miss mum's cooking so much." Ron said as he began stuffing food into his mouth. After dinner they all retreated to Ron's bedroom.

"So any news on Voldemort?" Harry finally asked, Ron and Ginny both flinching slightly at the name. They knew he'd been waiting all night to get away from Mrs. Weasley and ask that. There'd been some things in the Daily Prophet, but it had all been fairly vague.

"As usual, mum's trying to keep us out of anything order related, but the twins have been giving us snippets of information. Nothing big though, mostly just expanding on what the Prophet has said. You have been reading the Daily Prophet?" Harry and Hermione nodded, "There have been quite a few disappearances of wizards and witches, in some cases whole magical families, since the Death Eaters escaped Azkaban again. The only one's we know are the obvious, Malfoys, Parkinsons, Zabinis, Crabbes, Goyles, Notts, all the families of Death Eaters. Obviously because their parents are in hiding. Well the Malfoys haven't really disappeared, just disconnected from the floo (which is the only way people know to find Malfoy Manor) and none have them have been seen in public lately. Fred and George say that the kids of the Death Eaters will probably still show up at Hogwarts; seeing as it's their parents, not them, that are Death Eaters. Too bad, I wouldn't mind losing a few of them, especially Malfoy." Ron grinned at Harry, Ginny Rolled her eyes.

"Really, if you guys didn't react the way you do, he probably would have given up torturing you years ago. Ever notice he doesn't go looking for me to pick at." Ginny said, a little irritably.

"That's because he's been at the other end of one of your bat-bogey hexes. Who wouldn't leave you alone after that!" Ron exclaimed, shuddering at the thought.

"My brothers, for one." She grinned, "but I'm not the only one, he's let up on Hermione quite a bit ever since she stopped reacting to his insults."

"Why are you sticking up for that git for anyways?" Ron said.

"I'm not, I'm just saying you could stop this infernal feud if you wanted to." Ginny replied exasperatedly. "Anyway Harry, there've also been quite a few attacks on muggles, as well as a few very disturbing attacks on wizarding families. Nobody we know." Ginny continued.

"What do you mean? How were they 'very disturbing'? Harry asked.

"Well Harry," Hermione piped in," The only wizard families to be attacked have been the Simons', the Cratens' and the Pettigrews' (distant relations to worm tail). In every family, there was at least one red-headed young girl killed, most were around the age of 11, some older, some younger. A few were muggle families, where the daughter was attending, or would soon be attending a wizarding school. So far there have been no pure-blood families targeted, which makes sense seeing that the Death Eaters are very pro-pureblood. Plus, if they kill off too many pureblood families, they'll wipe themselves out. So far they are families who haven't chosen to fight for either side yet. Also, the killings aren't exactly "clean" deaths. They aren't just Avada Kedavra-ing. Quite a few people have been found crucio-ed into madness, or cursed by curses that create large open wounds. The girls are always found dead, as well as the most…damaged. The most recent family found lived in an almost deserted town. The father was a squib, so they had no magical protection. The mother was a muggle. Their daughter had just received her acceptance letter into Hogwarts. They also are a distant relative of Mrs. Weasleys." Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Ron looked over at Ginny with a glint of worry apparent in his blue eyes.

"Don't worry Ron. The order wouldn't let them do anything to Ginny." Harry said. "How do you know all this Hermione, it wasn't in the prophet."

"I subscribed to the Quibbler after our fifth year. There's still a lot of rubbish in it, but occasionally you can find more of what's going on that the Prophet has been kept from reporting."

The next two weeks went by fairly calmly at the Burrow, games of Quidditch when ever the twins would come by, seeing as Ginny's ban on flying was still in place. Dinner with various Order members, who adamantly refused to talk about what was happening within the order around Harry, Hermione and the younger Weasleys. At Mrs. Weasley's insistence of course. Soon the day to head off for the school train had arrived.

"Ginny, come on. You've got everything. Don't worry so much. Even if you've forgotten something, your mum can owl it to you." Harry was standing outside her door, waiting to help her bring her trunk down.

"I know, Harry, I just feel like I've forgotten something important." She said before sticking her head back into her closet.

"Well, we've still got to have breakfast before we go, maybe you'll remember then." Harry replied as he began dragging her trunk through her doorway.

"Yeah, okay." Ginny said as she followed him out her door. "Harry, why don't you just use magic to carry that, you are of age now."

"Oh yeah, I'm still not used to being able to do magic outside of school." Harry replied. As he pointed his wand at the trunk, and it began floating down the stairs in front of them. (They learned how to nonverbal magic in their sixth year)

"What took you guys so long?" said Ron through mouthfuls of eggs.

"You're lucky there's any food left with the way Ron eats." Hermione added, as she gave Rona fairly disgusted look.

"Ginny was trying to find something, she's positive she's forgotten some highly important item." responded Harry as he started piling food onto his plate.

"Oh, well Ginny, I always make a checklist of my stuff in my head. Then just go through it checking things off. It always helps me." Said Hermione in a knowing tone.

"Thanks 'Mione, I'll try that." Said Ginny as she started eating. Her mind carefully going over everything she had packed as she tried to figure out what it was she had forgotten. She came back to the present just as she heard Ron saying her name.

"I'm sure Ginny will make it back on the team. She's a great chaser, and she bought that new broom. But I'm not so sure about me, I mean…" Ron was interrupted by Ginny dropping her fork loudly on her plate as she jumped from her seat and ran out the front door. The trio just stared after her in confusion.

"Was it something I said?" asked Ron puzzled. Ginny ran around the side of the house towards the broom shed, how could she be so stupid. Forgetting her broom would have been disastrous. She wouldn't have much time before trials to break it in, and had she forgotten it, Errol surely wouldn't have been able to carry it himself. It never would have made it to Hogwarts intact. Grabbing her Nimbus 2000 she headed back into the house. She dropped her broom off with her trunk at the door, and headed back in to breakfast. But when she got back, everyone was getting up and the table had been cleared.

"Mum! I wasn't done." Ginny whined at her mother.

"Well, you shouldn't have been dilly-dallying this morning." stated Mrs. Weasley, "Hurry up everyone, grab your things, we don't want to be late. Everyone grabbed their trunks and drug them out onto the front lawn.

"Why can't we just apparate there mum, it'd be easier." Said Ron as he hauled his trunk toward the dirt road that lead to their house from the village.

"Because Ron, your sister can't yet. And with everything that's going on I'd prefer if we all traveled together. So we'll be taking the Knight bus." She held up her wand hand as everyone reached the road. Ron groaned the large purple bus screeched to a halt in front of him. The Knight bus was defiantly not his favorite way to travel.


	3. Chapter 3

-1_Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all of Harry Potter world. Only the plot of this story, and anything that you don't recognize from HP are mine._

_Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'm happy you like it. Please keep reviewing, I happily accept any praise, suggestions or criticism. Sorry if it takes a bit for me to update sometimes, I do have a job and such. Also I'm sorry if it seems too Americanized, I am an American, but I try my best._

**Chapter 3 : Returning to school**

Draco levitated his school trunk ahead of him as he made his way towards the gates to leave Malfoy Manor. Normally his parents would go with him to see him off at the station, but it wasn't possible this year. With his father in hiding from the ministry and his mother under suspicion of not only hiding his father, but being a Death Eater as well, it was better if he went to platform 9 ¾ alone. The minister of magic had insisted that he go to the ministry to be checked over the day before he leave for school. They had checked his wand for use of unforgivable curses, and checked his arm for the dark mark. He'd also heard a rumor that they would be checking everyone getting on the train as well as entering Hogwarts with a secrecy sensor. Draco found out shortly after arriving at the ministry that he wasn't the only one asked there for investigation. He ran into both Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson while he was there, and they informed him other Slytherins had been there earlier, and they'd heard all children of known Death Eaters or supporters of the Dark Lord were required to be checked over before school started.

As soon as Draco got outside of the grounds gate he grabbed a hold of his trunk and apparated straight to platform 9 ¾. Luckily there was an area set aside in the station for apparating, or he surely would have been run over as soon as he arrived. The station seemed more crowded and busy than any other year he had been here. It could have been because it seemed that everyone thought it safer to travel in big groups, thus bringing their entire families along to send off only one or two children. Or it could be that usually the students boarded the Hogwarts Express immediately upon arriving, but this year Draco noticed that most the students still seemed to be on the platform. And if he wasn't mistaken, there were haphazard lines that lead up to the doors of the train. Upon closer examination, he discovered each student and there belongings were being checked with secrecy sensors before being allowed to board. 'I guess the rumors were true' Draco thought as he hauled his trunk over to the nearest line.

"Ginny, hey, no cutting." Draco heard the distinct sound of Rona Weasley's voice a few people ahead of him in line.

"I'm not 'cutting' Ronald." he heard a very irritated Ginny reply, "I'm joining my brother in line. Mum insists that we stick together, as if I'm going to get kidnapped or something if I stand 3 feet ahead of you where I WAS standing with Luna."

"Ron, be nice to your sister. You were getting on just fine yesterday, what's so different today. And Ginny, quit whining. You can go find Luna once your aboard the train. I feel much better knowing your all together." Mrs. Weasley said as Draco peeked around the crowd in front of him to see the family of redheads. Ginny stood with her back to Draco, her thick red hair falling gracefully just below her shoulder blades. Ron was across from her, ears red from either anger or embarrassment, Draco wasn't sure which. Mrs. Weasley stood next to Ginny, and was now talking to Harry Potter, who looked exactly the same with his messy dark hair and bright green eyes. He was maybe a little taller, closer to Ron's height now, Draco noticed. Possibly a little taller than himself. Hermione Granger walked over to join Ginny from what he could see was the rest of their escort, which included the Weasley twins, Professor Lupin, and a few Draco couldn't get a good look at. Hermione had changed quite a bit over the summer; her hair was longer, which Draco had to admit was defiantly good, it made her hair much less bushy, and she'd grown a good 4 inches as well. All in all Hermione had grown into an attractive young lady, Draco couldn't deny that much. But as Ginny turned around and started scanning the crowd, presumably for her friends, Draco noticed that Hermione didn't stand a chance in his eyes against the young Weasleys looks. She brushed her long red hair out of her face to reveal oddly familiar cinnamon eyes, surrounded by long red lashes. Her nose was lightly sprinkled with light colored freckles, and her skin was almost as pale as his own. She was defiantly the shortest of the bunch, Draco would guess maybe a little over 5 foot. Her petite body had a nice hourglass shape to it.

As Draco was pondering the beautiful little witch, and the feelings she was causing, he noticed a pale blush appear on her cheeks and looked up to realize she'd caught him staring. He smiled slightly, then turned it into his usually arrogant smirk as he realized she was a Weasley.

"Draco, hey, Draco." Draco turned to find Blaise making his way through the crowd towards him. " you parent free today too, huh?" Blaise asked as he joined Draco in line.

"Yup, mum didn't want to get harassed by aurors the moment we appeared on the platform. Which is fine with me, I'm of age, I think I can manage getting on the train alone." Draco responded.

"Yeah, my dad had to talk mum out of accompanying me here. Sometimes I think she still sees me as a little first year." Blaise whispered back, not wanting anyone to overhear him talking about the father he wasn't supposed to know where was. "So I hear you're dad took you along on a mission, how was it? Draco noticed the hint of worry in his best friends voice, Blaise had always been against becoming a Death Eater, and only now could Draco sympathize.

"I'll tell you once we're in our compartment on the train. Too many people to over hear us out here." he responded, unconsciously glancing over at the Golden Trio, or more precisely the pretty redhead standing with them. Blaise looked over to where Draco was looking.

"Whoa man, what happened to Granger?" Blaise suddenly said, a little louder than he'd meant to, as Hermione looked up at him when she heard her name. Draco noticed a slight blush cross his friends

features before recovering and smirking at the girl. Hermione just scowled and went back to talking with her friends. Draco laughed a little, causing Blaise to look over at him. "What?"

"That was priceless Zabini" Draco commented. Blaise stuck his tongue out at him.

"Seriously though, she's quite the looker this year, even you got to admit that Draco." Blaise said, refocusing his attention on the Gryffindor Know-it-all.

" I don't have to admit any such thing. Although I will say she does look better than she did before." Draco told his friend. He looked back at the group of Gryffindors just as Ginny was being checked by the ministry officials. "Yeah, like the Weaselette's really going to be trying to sneak anything onto the train." Draco scoffed.

"Well actually, I wouldn't put it past her." Blaise said looking over at Draco as his friend watched the girl they were discussing.

"What do you mean?" Draco said with out taking his eyes away from Ginny.

" Well, I've heard she's just as bad as her brothers, Fred and George. Maybe even worse, just hasn't gotten caught as often. I've also heard a rumor that she's the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets our second year." Blaise said. Trying to figure out just what the look Draco was giving the Weasel girl was. Draco snapped his head over and looked at his friend in surprise, " You serious? Hmmm….maybe the Weaselette has a streak of Slytherin in her after all." A calculating look crossed his face. Blaise looked a little worried.

"What're you thinking Draco? Why are you so interested in her anyways?" Blaise asked, but a look of revelation crossed his face before Draco had a chance to answer. " you fancy her don't you?" Draco watched as Ginny climbed aboard the train, " Nah, she just intrigues me. But you have to admit, like the mud blood, she's grown quite attractive."

Draco and Blaise boarded the train and found a compartment without any trouble, Pansy joined them in there compartment a short while after they got there.

"Okay, before Crabbe and Goyle get here, I'll tell you about the mission. I'm not too sure I trust them, so don't say anything around them. They may be dunderheads, but that doesn't keep them from repeating things to their fathers." Draco told his two closest friends. " It was, well, awful."

" Awful? What'd you have to do?" Pansy asked.

"Well, I was mostly just there as a learning experience, not really a participant." Draco responded. "But after that mission, I don't think I want to be a Death Eater anymore."

"It must've been bad, we're your closest friends and we couldn't talk you out of it after we decided that we didn't want to follow some half-blood maniac. But this one night has changed your mind?" Blaise said. "What happened Drake?"

"Well, we went to this muggle house, and proceeded to torture and kill the family. I'm not sure why, other than the fact that they're muggles. But then, I'm not so sure they were muggles. When we got there, the man answered the door, and he said he was the only one home. But not only was he lying, my father knew that the others would be hiding. If they were mere muggles, how'd they know to hide, why would they even have places like trapdoors and secret rooms? Muggles don't know about Death Eaters, but this family seemed to know who we were, and why we were there. And the girl they killed, she was so tiny, and so young. Why kill such a small harmless girl? My father had me hold her back as they tortured and killed her parents. She clung to me, when I was told to let go of her, she clung tighter, like she was trying to become a part of me. She looked in my eyes, begging me to save her when they killed her. I can't get her out of my head. Took me a week to be able to walk around my own house without seeing her in every room. I just don't think I can do it. Kill people, torture people, especially innocent children. And that was a light mission, my father would never take me on anything big or dangerous before getting my mark. If I can't handle that mission, how will I do the worst stuff?" Draco told his friends in a hushed tone. Blaise looked almost angry, while Pansy looked ill, and close to tears.

"That's horrible Drake." Pansy said, her voice cracking slightly. "How are we going to get out of it? Me and Blaise have been trying to figure out how to avoid getting the mark for almost two years now, do you have any ideas?"

"How could they do that! It's not like a little girl is any threat to the dark lord's plight." Blaise said angrily. His dark blue eyes flashing.

" I don't know Pans, but I'll defiantly be thinking about it. And we have to find a way soon, I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting marked before the school year's over." Draco responded. Just then the compartment door crashed open, and all three friends jumped.

"Crabbe, Goyle, can you possibly NOT break the door on your way in." Blaise said irritably.

"Sorry" the two mumbled as the stumbled (AN: sorry, couldn't help it) into the compartment and sat down across from each other. The rest of the train ride went uneventfully, Draco decided he was oddly not in the mood to aggravate the Trio, and none of his friends seemed to mind, except his two bodyguards. They were getting restless just sitting in the compartment, that is until the snack cart came around. Then they were perfectly content munching away on various wizarding sweets.

"Finally, we're here. I swear that train ride seems longer every year." Draco complained as the train came to a stop in the Hogsmeade station. Grabbing his trunk he made his way toward the doors to leave the train.

"Ouch, watch where your going!" he heard ahead of him, just as he looked back to see if Pansy and Blaise were following him. Turning his head back forward, he came face to face (well more like chest to face) with a very irritated looking Ginny Weasley. " You stepped on my robes, Malfoy." He stared at her for a second, before putting on his signature smirk, and responding.

"Well, if you stayed out of my way Weaselette, I wouldn't have to trip over you." Draco sneered at her. "I don't look down when I walk, so it's not like I could see you were in front of me." She huffed, turned around and continued making her way towards the exit.

"What, no witty comeback?" Draco smirked. Watching as the little redhead confidently pushed her way through the crowd.

"I don't feel like going at it with you right now Malfoy, so quit following me, and leave me alone." Ginny replied.

" Following you? Where else would you like me to go Weasley, this is the way to the doors." Draco said.

"Fine, just so long as your not still behind me once we get off the bloody train." She replied, her voice still hinting at her irritability.

"Why, do I make you nervous?" He leaned down and whispered in her ear as the stopped behind a crowd near the exit.

"No, just irritated." She replied without looking back. But he could feel her tense up in front of him as his lips brushed her ear, and a slight blush graced her pale freckled skin. Draco was tempted to try to make her more nervous, but decided against it as they left the train and Blaise and Pansy caught up to him.

"What was that, with the Weasley girl?" Pansy asked as they looked for an empty carriage to ride up to the school in.

"Nothing, I stepped on her robes, thus we threw a few insults at each other." Draco responded, his eyes still following Ginny as she made her way into a carriage behind a blonde that Draco recognized as the Ravenclaw, Luna LoveGood. Blaise and Pansy exchanged knowing looks as Draco climbed into the carriage ahead of them.

The Great Hall filled with excited students, all anxious for the sorting to begin, but more anxious for the start-of-term feast to begin. Draco didn't pay much attention as the first years were sorted into there houses, only enough to clap when someone was put in Slytherin. He was , hopefully discreetly, watching the youngest Weasley as she quietly chattered with her friends at the Gryffindor table. She seemed to be quite popular among both the boys and girls of her house, and he'd find out soon that it wasn't just in Gryffindor that she had many friends, but in the other three houses as well. Even some Slytherins had befriended the small red-haired beauty. Blaise rolled his eyes at his friend as he whispered something to Pansy, who glanced over at the Gryffindor table, curiosity in her chocolate brown eyes.

"And now, let the feast begin…" Professor Dumbledore's voice broke Draco's trance, just as the tables filled with food. Piling some of everything on his plate he tuned into his classmate's conversation.

"I wonder if the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will actually let us use our wands in his class, unlike Umbridge." Pansy said to the girl on her right, Millicent Bulstode.

"Yeah, the only good thing that came from her was us getting to be her inquisitorial squad." Millicent replied. Draco looked up to the teachers table to find a man with brown shaggy hair and dark green robes sitting next to Professor Snape.

"What's his name? I wasn't listening." Draco asked Blaise.

"Yeah, I noticed." Blaise replied with a teasing grin. "He's Professor De Voyer, doesn't LOOK like a psycho, but then, that doesn't mean he's not. There's got to be something wrong with him, there's always something wrong with our DADA teachers."

" Yeah, you're right Blaise. But maybe this one will be different." Draco shrugged, as the tables cleared themselves. "Well, time to head to the common room I suppose."

Pansy, Draco and Blaise left the Great Hall together, Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind them. The three Slytherins had decided they were going to try to drop the two goons as early in the year as possible. Draco wasn't sure he could deal with their stupidity this year, and was sure Blaise and Pansy would agree.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. **_

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 4: Classes Merge**

"This year sure is starting out different than usual." Ginny turned to her bookwormish friend,

"What do you mean 'Mione?"

"Yeah 'Mione, everything seemed pretty normal to me." Her brother added, "Get rushed out of the house, smothered by my mother at the station, eat lots of junk on the train ride, sit impatiently through the sorting, listen as Dumbledore makes another confusing speech, get glared at by you for not paying attention to said speech, eat lots of wonderful food, then head to bed. That's what I do every year. So how's this one different?"

Ginny watched as Hermione rolled her eyes tiredly at Ron. Sometimes she wondered if Hermione was just going to put a permanent silencing spell on him, just so she wouldn't have to listen to him anymore.

"Well, Ronald. You seemed to have left out an event that has only failed to happen this year since, well, since first year." Hermione replied irately.

"I did? What's that?" Ron looked over at her in confusion.

"Malfoy didn't show up to irritate us on the train this year." Harry answered as he came up on them from some secret passage. "Isn't that what you mean, 'Mione?"

"God Harry, don't DO that!" Hermione squeaked. "But yes, that is what I mean. Don't you find that weird. He ALWAYS shows up on the train."

"That is a bit odd." Ron replied.

"Yeah, but maybe we should just be happy that we finally got to enjoy the ride without his interruption, rather than try and figure out why he chose to leave us alone." Ginny sighed. "Or at least you should be happy, I wasn't lucky enough to escape Malfoy."

"What're you talking about Gin? You rode in the same compartment as us." Harry asked. Ginny considered just letting the topic slide, she had been the one after all who had tried to convince the others to just ignore Malfoy. And knowing her hot-headed brother, he'd track Malfoy down to start something for bothering his sister. But then he'd think more into it if she failed to answer Harry's question.

"It was nothing, I just ran into him on the way off of the train. Well, more like he ran into me, he stepped on the back of my robes, I almost fell right over my trunk." Ginny told the trio as they reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"That Prat!" Ron suddenly yelled, causing the fat lady to jump startled, then glare at him.

" Conundrum" Hermione said to the fat lady, who promptly swung open.

"Don't make such a big deal, Ron, I don't think he did it on purpose, he was looking behind him when I turned around. Anyways, I told him to watch where he was going, and he made a crack about my height. And that's it. It was annoying, but nothing to get upset over." Ginny told her friends, carefully leaving out the part where Malfoy whispered in her ear, his lips lightly caressing them as he spoke. Just thinking about it caused her to blush lightly. Luckily nobody noticed as they were all making there way into the noisy common room. She didn't know why, but having Malfoy that close to her had made her heart speed up, and her breath get caught in her throat. Forcing down her blush she turned towards the trio.

"Gin, what's your schedule like? If we have any free periods together, I'd gladly go flying with you." Harry asked. Had it been a couple years earlier, Ginny would have turned red and started stuttering at Harry's suggestion. But not anymore. She still loved Harry, but as a brother. They had become very close after the fight at the ministry, and now she could never imagine their relationship ever turning romantic.

"Well, lets see. I've got charms, care of magical creatures, free period, advanced double potions. That's tomorrow." Ginny told them as she looked over her schedule.

"Wait, you have advanced potions? Isn't that a 7th year class?" Ron interrupted.

"Yes, I've also got advanced Defense against the Dark Arts." Ginny replied. "That's what Mcgonagall wanted to talk about the last time she showed up for dinner. Because of the TA-ing I did last year during my free periods, and the Grades I'm getting in those classes, she thought I'd be able to handle being moved ahead a year in those classes. I'll be behind a bit of course, but she is confidant that I'll catch up easily. Especially since I already know how to use non-verbal spells."

"Don't be so shocked Ronald. After all, nearly all of MY classes last year were 7th year classes, and Harry was in Advanced DADA last year as well. Just because YOUR grades aren't good enough to have you skipped ahead, doesn't mean it won't happen to the rest of us." Hermione said.

"Wait, then what will you do, just retake the classes you've already taken?" Ron retorted.

"Of course not. I have TA-ing most of my periods. And then there's also my tutoring. And a few private lessons for some subjects. And Harry will be TA-ing for DADA. Anyways, go on Ginny, what's the rest of your schedule?" Hermione replied, rather annoyed with her friends ignorance. Ginny just watched this exchange with faint amusement, as Harry completely tuned them out until he heard Hermione say his name.

"Okay, well. The next day I have Transfiguration, free period, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Muggle Studies. Not a bad schedule really. A free period both days, and only one double class." Ginny told the others.

"Well, looks like we don't have any free periods together Gin, oh well. I'll fly with you some other time, we do have potions together though." Harry told her, " I'm going to head to bed, so I'll see you all at breakfast."

"Alright Harry, night." Ginny said tiredly, "I think I'll head up to bed as well. Goodnight 'Mione, Ron. See you in the morning."

"Night Gin" Ron said from his chair by the fire.

"Goodnight Ginny, sleep well." Hermione replied, as she opened a book and reclined on the couch. Ginny thought briefly about the time last year when she'd caught her brother and bushy-haired (although Hermione's hair had tamed quite a bit) friend making out last year on that exact couch. Their relationship wasn't a long-lived one, but it defiantly was an active one. She couldn't count the times she heard of people walking in on those two eating each others faces. And not just in the common room either. Empty classrooms, the boys dorm, closets, Gryffindors Quidditch changing room, and many more places. But now, they were just friends again. They'd realized that their relationship wasn't really going anywhere, and after the initial excitement of being together died down, there really wasn't anything much between the two of them.

Ginny made her way up to bed, her thoughts drifting back to the incident on the train. Why had he done that, stood so close to her like that? Was it his new form of torture? She could have sworn he had been watching her during dinner as well, but never caught him at it. Oh well, maybe tomorrow things would be back to normal. It's not as if she normally saw him very often, seeing as she was a grade lower. There was Potions and DADA though. Both were with Slytherin, and since she was in the Advanced class, she'd more than likely have those classes with Malfoy. Unless he wasn't taking them, but she doubted that'd be the case, especially with Potions.

---------------

The next morning one blonde haired Slytherin woke to the high pitched voice of one Pansy Parkinson. She had flung open the door to the 7th year boys dormitory and was singing 'good morning, good morning, it's time to wake up' in a loud, annoyingly high pitched voice. She could be so irritating when she wanted to. Not nearly as bad as the first few years at Hogwarts when she'd cling to his side, fawning all over him, but still pretty bad. They had a short lived relationship in their fourth year, but now they were just friends, who fooled around occasionally. Even so, she had repeatedly tried to set him up with various girls throughout the school. She insisted that once he found love, he'd be happy. Another thing that had gotten annoying.

"Shut UP Pans!" He heard Blaise yell from under his blankets, a moment later a pillow flew over his bed in the direction of Pansy's head. Draco sat up just in time to see it hit Pansy squarely in the face.

"It's not my fault you guys always oversleep on the first day." She replied.

" You could find a…quieter…way of waking us, Pansy-dearest." Draco drawled as he climbed out of bed and began gathering his shower stuff. " Hey Blaise, aren't you supposed to get your own room, being head boy and all?"

"Yeah, but they're not done setting it up apparently." Blaise replied sleepily. " I should be moved into it by the end of the week though. I get to share a common room with Granger."

"Oh, fun. I'm sure she'll be a blast to live with." Malfoy mumbled. "Oh well, if you get too bored, you can always invite us over to keep you company."

With that Draco made his way out of his dorm and headed in the direction of the showers. They still had to us the shared showers, but at least 7th years got a bathroom that younger years weren't allowed in. It was like a reward for making it to 7th year or something. This way he wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn, just to get a shower. The showers for the younger years were always so crowded. They got their own shower stalls of course, but he hated waiting in line for a free one, then being rushed since others were waiting.

"Ah…a nice long shower" Draco mumbled to himself as he entered the room, only nearly literally run right into Harry Potter, who had apparently just finished his shower, seeing as he was in just a pair of green PJ bottoms and his hair was dripping water down the sides of his face.

"Sorry 'bout that Malfoy." Harry apologized. They may have rivalries between them, but Harry always attempted being civil with the other boy, when possible. And the showers hardly seemed the place to get into a fist fight or duel.

"It's fine, Potter." Malfoy replied, turning away and heading for the last stall. Missing the look of confusion gracing Harry's features.

---------------

" Well, this morning has defiantly been interesting." Harry muttered as he sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.

"Why's that Harry?" Ginny asked from across the table.

"I ran into Malfoy in the showers." Harry replied.

"What, he try to grope you or something?" Ron asked between bite of food.

"RONALD!" Hermione shouted, a faint blush crossing her cheeks.

"WHAT! He said it's been interesting, that'd defiantly count as interesting." Ron said as he blocked his head from Hermione's blow. Ginny just rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry.

"Uh, no. He was…nice. I mean, not like we got all buddy-buddy, but he didn't insult me, or say any smart ass remarks. It was just…weird." Harry said as he started piling food on his plate. Ginny thought for a moment, then glanced over at the Slytherin table. Only to make eye contact with a pair of metallic silver orbs. Malfoy kept the contact for a brief minute then turned to the dark-haired boy next to him.

"Maybe he's finally growing up." Hermione's voice brought Ginny from her thoughts and she turned to the girl next to her.

"Yeah 'Mione, your probably right. Took him long enough though." Ginny smiled. " Now if only our boys would follow suit."

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean." Ron replied indignantly.

"She means you two should grow up as well." Hermione said, before getting up from the table. Well, I have a meeting with Mcgonagall about the tutoring session I'll be doing this period. So I'd better go. See you all later." With that she swung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of the great hall. Meanwhile, Ginny continued her breakfast in silence. Tuning out the others she began planning times when she'd be able to make it out to the pitch to break in her broom.

----------------

"RONALD!"

Draco, Pansy and Blaise looked over at the Gryffindor table, along with most the rest of the people in the room. Apparently Ron Weasley had already started to get on Grangers nerves. It had to be a record. Draco continued to watch the little group even after everyone else had gone back to their breakfasts and morning chatter. Apparently Potter was telling them all something. Although the littlest Weasley seemed to only be partially listening to him. Suddenly her eyes drifted upwards and she was looking right into his gray eyes with her cinnamon ones.

"Draco….DRACO!" Blaise said next to him. He tore his gaze from the Weasley girls to look at his best friend. "geez, I said your name like 4 times. Is Potter and his friends really that fascinating?"

" Sorry, I spaced out." Draco lied. " What is it you wanted?"

" I was asking you if you were going to use your free period to start planning for the Quidditch trials. Seeing as you are our captain this year." Blaise asked.

"Oh yeah, I was going to go check out our changing rooms, find the old play board Flint used to have. Then maybe do a little flying." Draco responded. "Why? Did you want to come with?"

"Nah, I got to go talk to Snape during my free period. Seeing as I'll be TA-ing in one of his classes." Blaise said as he started getting ready to leave.

"Damn, I forgot about that. You won't have potions with me this year. Will you be TA-ing my period?" Draco asked.

"Not sure, that's the reason for the meeting with Snape." Blaise gave him a 'duh' look. "Who you going to pair with, now that me and Pans won't be there?"

"Not sure, I'll probably just get stuck with whoever else doesn't have a partner. Lucky for me Longbottom isn't in that class anymore." Draco said as he too stood to leave. He had Herbology first thing, so him and Blaise headed for the greenhouses.

------------------

Ginny made her way towards the Quidditch pitch, broom in hand. She was anxious to get into the air. Two weeks flying ban was like torture for her. Especially watching her brothers, Harry and Hermione all playing Quidditch (poor Hermione had absolutely no flying talent). She was thankful that unlike Harry and Hermione, she wasn't TA-ing during either of her free periods this year. She needed that time to break in her broom. As she approached the pitch she noticed someone else had the same idea.

"What're You doing here?" She asked him as she drew near.

"I thought that'd be obvious, Weasley, I'm getting ready to fly." Malfoy shot back, an amused tone to his voice.

" Whatever, just don't bother me." She said as she rolled her eyes and mounted her broom.

" I see you got a new broom." Malfoy said as he too mounted her broom. Ginny looked at him suspiciously, waiting for his comment about how poor her family was. But it never came.

"Yeah, I worked for the twins this summer so I could buy it." Ginny replied cautiously.

"It's nice." He said, then took of into the air. Shouting back, "but mine's better." He smirked and sped away.

"God he's irritating." She mumbled as she too took to the sky.

They both flew around the pitch for awhile, staying out of the others way for the most part. They were only interrupted about half way through the period by a dark-haired, blue eyes Slytherin.

"Drake! You gonna fly all period!" The boy yelled up to them. Draco sped down to where his friend was standing, leaving the skies to Ginny. She continued her trek around the pitch, but with the pitch so quiet, bits of their conversation drifted to her ears.

"Blaise, I thought you weren't gonna show…."

"Yeah, well…I decided to anyways."

"So you Ta-ing my period?

"Yeah, well part of it. Granger and I are splitting it, since it's a double period. Snape's gonna have her do one half, and me do the other."

"Ah, think he'd let you stay and help me once your half is over?"

"HA! Yeah right. Even if he would, you don't need my help. Only reason your not out of that class too is because you missed so much class last year."

"Yeah, but I couldn't help it. You know what happens if I go against my father."

Ginny decided she'd had enough flying and headed for the ground. Before heading towards the changing room she glanced over at the two boys nearby. Once again making eye contact with Malfoy. Before she could walk away, the other boy turned around and noticed her. He made his way over to her.

"Ginny Weasley, right?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." She replied, surprised by both him talking to her, and his knowing who she was.. Although she figured the red hair probably helped with the second one.

"Blaise Zabini." He held out his hand. " Nice to meet you." She took the pro-offered hand. But instead of shaking it, he leaned down and kissed it. Ginny blushed and pulled her hand away.

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too." She mumbled. Glancing back at Draco she muttered something about having to get back, and hurried towards the Gryffindor changing rooms.

"A little jumpy, isn't she." Blaise commented as they watched her rush away.

-------------------

Ginny exited the changing room about 20 minutes later. She was about to head back to the castle when someone whispered in her ear.

" Don't worry, he's harmless."

Ginny's body tensed up when she realized Malfoy was directly behind her, whispering into her ear, much like he had on the train.

"W-Who is?" she cursed herself for stuttering.

"Blaise." Draco replied. " You seemed a little unnerved at his actions on the pitch"

Ginny began walking then, putting some distance between her and the well-built Slytherin behind her.

" I wasn't worried, just surprised." She said. He followed her back towards the school, but kept his distance. She had half the mind to ask him why he was following her. But realized it'd be pointless, since she'd get an answer similar to the one on the train. That the school was this way, he wasn't following her.

"Where are you going? Isn't Gryffindor Common Room the other way?" Draco asked suddenly as Ginny headed in the direction of the dungeons.

"Yes, but I'm not going to the common room. I have Potions next, I'd be late if I went to the common room first. Not that it's any of your business." Ginny replied, irritation apparent in her tone.

" Ah, so you got skipped forward in Potions, you must be good. Snape's rather picky about who he skips forward." Malfoy said conversationally.

"It's my best subject." Ginny stated.

"GINNY!" Ginny turned around in time to be glomped by a boy barely taller than herself, wearing Slytherin robes. "Ginny, you'll tutor me for potions, right?"

" Matteus." Ginny smiled. " I'm not sure, why don't you meet me in the library after dinner tonight and we'll see if there's a time I can. If not, I can get you into one of Hermione's study groups."

"Okay Gin, Thanks. If it wasn't for you, I would never pass that class." Matteus replied, then he gave Malfoy a curious glance, said goodbye to Ginny, and headed back the direction he'd come in.

" You tutor Matteus Dibble?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes, we became friends in our 3rd year. He's almost as hopeless at potions as Neville." Ginny replied as she started towards the Potions classroom again.

Malfoy followed silently, watching her fiery hair sway against her back as she walked. So, she's friends with a Slytherin. Then she must not have the same prejudices as her brother. That's good to know.

**AN: I hate dialog  oh well, hope you liked it, please review….good or bad, both praise and criticism is more than welcome. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: All HP belongs to JK Rowling. **_

**AN: I feel horrible about how long it's been since I last updated. I just have been in a writing slump. So sorry. I'll try to not take as long next time. Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy. Please review. **

**Chapter 5: Unlucky pairing, or is it…?**

"Okay class, well be doing a lot of partner projects this term." Snape began as everyone settled into their seats. Ginny and Draco had been the last ones into the classroom, other than Professor Snape of course. The only seat left near the other Gryffindors was in the back next to Harry and her brother. Luckily for her, it was next to Harry, not Ron. Unluckily for her, the only other available seat in the room was right across the aisle from hers, thus Draco Malfoy was right across the aisle from her.

"The partners you get today will be your partner until Christmas break. So choose carefully." the professor continued. "Once class is over today, you're choice will be permanent, there will be no trading or switching partners, under ANY circumstances, if your chosen partner does not show for class, you will have to complete the project alone. Now go ahead and pair up." The room filled with the scraping of chairs and the bustling of the students as everyone scrambled to find a partner. Harry and Ron hadn't even bothered getting up, they already knew they would be partners.

It was then that Ginny wished Hermione would have still been in this class, but as she was not, Ginny had to find someone else to pair with. After a few minutes the noise lessened as her classmates settled into their new seats, and she was still without a partner.

"Miss Weasley, why are you still standing?" Snape demanded, when he noticed that not everyone had taken a seat. "Go sit with your partner, immediately."

"I didn't find a partner, sir." Ginny replied softly.

"What do you mean, you didn't find a partner? We have an even number of students in this class, everyone should be able to be paired up." he was beginning to sound rather irritated with her, "who else does not have a partner."

"I don't, professor." drawled an all too familiar voice. Oh no, ANYONE but Malfoy.

"Miss Weasley, please take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy, he will be your partner this term. I'm sure you will work quite well together, as you are two of my best students."

Ginny grabbed her bag and reluctantly crossed to the vacant seat next to the blonde boy. She hoped fervently that her luck the rest of the day would turn out better. Class went by without incident, but they were assigned a project that would require they get together outside class to work on it.

"So Weasley," Draco asked as they left the classroom, "when would you like to see me again?

Ginny snorted, "Never, but unfortunately the fates are against me. I have second period tomorrow free, and third period the next day."

"What about after dinner tonight?" Malfoy questioned, "Are you free then?"

"Yes, but I'd rather use that time to do my other homework, you know the ones that aren't due weeks from now." Ginny replied, heading up towards Gryffindors common room. "Aren't you going a bit out of the way of your dorms?"

"Yes, but I thought we should figure this out before we part. Besides, if you'd stop for a minute, I wouldn't have to go so far out of the way." he retorted. Ginny came to a stop, causing Malfoy to almost run into her.

"Fine, I'll meet you in the library after dinner if it will get you to leave me alone. But tonight we need to make other arrangements, I can't give up every evening to this project, I do have other classes." Ginny sighed resignedly.

"Fine, see you after dinner. Weaselette." Draco smirked before stalking off in the direction of the dungeons. Ginny glared at his back, before turning herself back in the direction of her common room.

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"Hey Draco, where've you been? It doesn't take that long to get here from the potions room." Blaise asked as soon as Draco walked into the common room. "Aren't you a little old to be getting lost in the castle?"

"Ha Ha Zabini. I was arranging a study time with the Weaselette. For our potions project." Malfoy rolled his eyes at his best friend's lame attempt at a joke.

"Study time…sure….if that's what you call it these days." Zabini teased.

"What are you talking about?" Malfoy asked as he made his way to the boys dorms to put away his bag.

"Oh please, Drake. I saw the way you watched her during class. And how you didn't even attempt to find yourself a partner. You probably already knew that at least one Slytherin would have to pair up with a Gryf. Not to mention the fact that talking to you during meals seems pointless, as your attention is focused on a certain redhead who sits with the Golden Trio, and I'm NOT talking about Ron." Blaise blurted out at his stoic friend. "You have a thing for her, just admit it already."

"Whatever Blaise, I told you, she intrigues me. That's all. Plus, she's fun to mess with." Draco responded, taking a seat by the fire.

"Fine, enjoy your denial." Blaise huffed, " by the way, you'll be without Pansy and I tonight. Think you can handle the dunderblocks alone?"

"Don't have to, I talked Weasley into studying with me tonight in the library. Where will you two be?" Draco looked at the darker boy curiously, he knew his friends had fooled around, but they'd never went on a date with each other before.

" I've got a meeting with Granger and the headmaster, we're getting our new rooms tonight. And Pansy's found a new play toy, well, potential play toy. She hasn't snagged the guy yet. But apparently tonight she's got a plan to." Blaise informed him.

"Who is it?" Draco asked, only slightly interested in the answer. Pansy picked a new guy at the start of every year. Her yearly 'challenge,' always some she thinks will take all her sneaky ways to catch. She just really enjoys the chase, and proving she can get anyone.

"Not sure, she wouldn't tell me. Said she had to make sure he wasn't too easy first. I think tonight is more of a information gathering stage." Blaise replied, getting up from his seat, " Ready to go to dinner?"

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"So Ginny, any homework tonight?" Hermione asked as she joined the rest of the Gryffindors for dinner. "I have to wait till tomorrow night to do mine, the headmaster is giving me my new room tonight."

"Nah, luckily I just have the potions project. Malfoy is meeting me in the library after dinner. I would have preferred meeting with him during one of my free periods, but he wouldn't leave me alone, so I just agreed." Ginny sighed. "Can I come see your room tomorrow?"

"Of course, maybe we can have a 'room warming' party this weekend, us and a few other girls. Like Luna, Lavender and the Patil sisters." Hermione suggested.

"Sounds great. Are you sure that won't bother the head boy?" the redhead inquired, taking her time with her meal, as to prolong the time till she needed to meet with the dreaded blonde.

"I don't think so, Blaise doesn't seem like the type to mind, but I'll talk to him about it tonight when we meet the headmaster." The brunette replied, looking towards the door. Ginny turned to see what her friend was looking at, to find Ron and Harry entering the room arguing about something in loud whispers.

"RON, it's really not something I want to talk about here." She heard Harry whisper harshly as they approached the two girls.

"Well, then you shouldn't have told me right before dinner." Ron whispered back.

"Hello boys, what's going on?" Gryffindors resident know-it-all inquired. Both boys jerked their heads up in surprise, as though they hadn't realized the girls were there.

"O-oh, nothing 'Mione. Just a little misunderstanding." Harry stuttered. Ron just took a seat by his sister and began piling food on his plate, the only evidence of the previous argument was the way Ron pointedly avoided looking in Harry's direction.

**-------------**

Draco sat patiently in the library, awaiting his partner. He'd left the great hall shortly after her, so he knew he wouldn't be waiting long. On the way to the library he'd run across Pansy questioned some scared looking 4th year Gryffindor. The poor kid looked petrified. When he'd approached the two, he seriously thought the boy would faint right on the spot. He'd heard the end of her question before she noticed the kids frightened eyes were now resting on something behind her. It sounded like she was trying to make sure somebody was straight, must be that research she does on her potential targets. She was very thorough when she wanted to be, and he supposed that would be a good thing to find out before pursuing someone.

"Off in your own little world there Malfoy?" a soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to find Ginny seated in the chair across from him, her parchment and quill already out.

"Uh yeah, sorry, how long have you been there?" He apologized, getting lost in those so familiar eyes. Where had he seen those eyes before? She just stared back at him. "What?" he asked.

"Did you just APOLOGISE?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Uh, yeah. I do know how to do that you know, just not many people are worth the effort." He replied, a smirk appearing on his pale features.

"Well, I suppose we should get started, but first, when are your free periods, we need a different time to do this." Ginny said, breaking eye contact to shuffle through her bag.

"How about the period before potions, does that work for you? I assume we both have that off since you were flying during it today." He replied, pulling out his own parchment and quill.

"That's fine." She said. And with that, they got to work.

After a few hours of working in mostly companionable silence, they were interrupted by Madame Pince asking them to please pack up their stuff, the library was about to close. They did as they were told, and after leaving the library, Ginny turned to her blonde partner.

"Well, I suppose you're not such a bad partner after all, Malfoy. Snape was right, we do seem to work quite well together."

"Yeah, I guess he was. You really know a lot about potions." He replied with a slight smile.

"Wow, Draco Malfoy can compliment a person without a hidden insult. And look, you can even smile…sort of." Ginny teased. Draco gave her an annoyed look as she turned towards the hall that would lead her back towards her own dorms.

"See ya around Malfoy." She said, but as she began to walk away, he grabbed her wrist. Bloody Hell, What am I doing! She turned back towards him, probably to demand he let go of her. Heart hammering in his chest, mind racing for reasons as to why his body seemed to be moving of it's own accord; Draco leaned forward, pressing his lips against the silken pink ones that belonged to a Weasley. She gasped in surprise, which allowed him to slip is tongue tentatively into her mouth, rubbing it gently against her own. As he began to pull away, he was amazed that she responded, kissing him back. As the kiss began to deepen, she must have come to her senses. One minute he was kissing the beautiful redhead, the next he was sprawled on his butt in the middle of the corridor, watching her flaming hair flare out behind her as she ran towards her dormitory.


	6. Authors Note

**AN: Sorry I haven't updated for a long time….my motivation for this story has taken a vacation…I think it's because I recently really started getting into Yaoi stories. Don't worry, I do plan to continue this story as soon as I get some motivation. I could keep writing, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be very good writing, and I'd like my story to be well written. So this story, as well as my other DracoGinny story will be ON HOLD for awhile. I apologize for the inconvenience, maybe if I read some more Harry Potter stuff, my muses will return. : ) I'll continue as soon as my muses come out of hiding. It would be a shame not to continue this story after all…seeing as I actually know where I'm going with it and all. Just without the motivation to write it, well...it'd end up poorly written. : ( **


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